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A couple of thoughts (now I really regret staying out of this thread for so long!):
1) Lobbyists may serve some sort of purpose, and it is true that it is probably not possible for any Senator to know all there is to know about a particular issue. It does not follow, however, that lobbyists are an appropriate place for politicians to be getting their facts. That is why Senators and Representatives have legislative correspondants. These are aides whose job is to become educated on an issue in its entirety, distill the facts and salient points and then brief their boss who makes the final decision.
2) To alansmithee and roachboy - I believe that full democracy IS a burden on the citizenry. That's because I absolutely expect that my President, Senators, Representatives, Mayor, Governor, etc. to have a better and more full grasp of an issue than I do. That is their job - it is why I vote them into office. Thaqt is why they have staffs that include people like the legislative correspondants I mentioned above. However, I am also going to do my best to know enough about the issues to tell whether or not my politicians are holding up their end of the bargain and vote them out if they are not. Thus, my misgivings about a full democracy do not mean that I want a dictatorship. They mean that I want a representative democracy, which fortunately is what I have. This is good because it means we don't have to start by changing the entire system, only by remembering how it works best.
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Cogito ergo spud -- I think, therefore I yam
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